The votes have been tallied, and 32 sitcom episodes have been whittled down to one. And the resulting episode is…Community’s “Remedial Chaos Theory.†I know, I’m surprised, too! And it didn’t just squeak by “Marge vs. the Monorail,†it demolished it, 72.7% to 27.3%. So that’s that, definitively. Sorry mom, the mob has spoken.
And really, isn’t it kind of fitting? We were never going to determine the real-deal single best episode ever. There is no such thing! The entire point of this whole tournament was to revisit some truly amazing episodes of TV, talk about them/argue about them in a good-natured way, and end up crowning whichever episode could pull in the most votes. And of course an episode of Community won. It’s got the most rabid fanbase of any sitcom on TV, a fanbase that feels extra motivated to give the show some good PR whenever it can due to its precarious state in the NBC lineup. Its stars, writers and creators are all on Twitter, tweetin’ links to things just like this, which helps get those votes in. The Simpsons has far fewer boosters online because A) this particular episode is 20 years old and B) it just doesn’t need them. It’s the longest-running sitcom ever! It doesn’t need this stupid title. It’s also the obvious choice. How much more fun is it to seriously claim that an episode of a terribly-rated-yet-very-beloved sitcom in constant danger of cancellation that aired in October is the absolute pinnacle of the form? So much more fun.
So congrats, Community! You’ve earned the title fair and square. I look forward to seeing it used in upcoming advertisements on NBC. Thanks to everybody for voting and arguing for your favorites. It’s been fun!